Orlando International Airport

Up at 5:15AM, quick re-pack and out to the lobby to wait for the shuttle to the airport. 6AM and we load onto the shuttle. Only one other couple on the van: a grandmother is sending her adorable little blonde grand-daughter back to Montclair, New Jersey after a visit to Disney World.

The van drops them off first and Kathy and I just decide to get out on the "wrong" side of the terminal and walk thru - rather than wait for the van to drive around. United's automated check-in seemed to be working quite well - even *scanned* my passport and correctly read the information - but then choked when it wouldn't scan my *visa* (you have to have a *Visa* to visit China: I don't mean the credit card). Just wouldn't do it. So a very-helpful agent walked us down to the human-powered terminals and got us all checked in - including getting me a brand-new United frequent-flyer number - since just one trans-Pacific trip could add up.

We also did quite well with the baggage weight limit. Kathy managed to pack for 20 days - in 41 pounds. My suitcase tipped the scale at 32 pounds. We're allowed 44 pounds each in China, so we were kind of sweating it out. Also, I read that gel-sole inserts in shoes - are disallowed. So I *packed* my shoes that have the inserts and just wore my sneakers.

Walked up to the TSA checkpoint. Hmmm.... it appears that we've found a job where it is considered a bonus if you're grumpy and mean all the time. No. Seriously. I understand that "this is serious business" - but it seemed that all of the TSA people were *pointedly* scowling and barking and clapping and ordering. LONG line, but we just threaded our way thru. I was lucky enough to be "randomly selected" to have my palms swabbed for explosives. At that point, they got a pretty-good swab of *sweat* - but no explosives, so they finally released me from my glass holding cage and I got to find Kathy who had already rescued my shoes and carry-on. But. Gee. Don't we all feel *safer*? (sigh).

Kathy's been studying a bit of Chinese as we wait. Turns out that if you say "Tang" as a question - it means "Sugar". If you say "Tang" like a gong sounding - it means "soup". So don't "ask" for soup - or you'll get sugar. But Kathy is sweet either way.



But by 7AM - here we are sitting at the gate waiting for a 9AM flite to Chicago. We beat both the "weight limit" AND the "wait limit". BEAUTIFUL clear morning - with the sun rising over the horizon just as we got to the gate.

Life *is* good. We're on our way to CHINA!

The Adventure Begins

Who knew that Orlando could be so entertaining? OK OK... the whole world comes here to play, but we've been here for 2 decades, so didn't expect anything new. Kelly & Glenn (daughter and Son-in-law) drove us to a hotel near the Orlando airport so we could get an early start tomorrow. We hear that the TSA is now recommending that you arrive for International flights *3 hours* ahead of your flite, so we wanted to eliminate the morning drive - and we didn't want to pay the $8 per day parking, either.

So. We arrived at our nice LaQuinta hotel, kissed Kelly goodbye - and wondered what to do with ourselves since it was only about 4PM.

So Kathy suggested that we lay out by the pool and read. Huh. Lay out by a pool in Florida. Who would EVER have thought of that? So. I read Steve Martin's "Pure Drivel" - and the AAA guide on the new Harry Potter land at Universal (officially opening June 18) - and napped - and Kathy again started her Historical Fiction about the Tudor era. And we talked to another couple who are staying at the same hotel - headed for Pittsburgh tomorrow. They, too, got burned by the stock market crash - and are adjusting their lives accordingly.

Then we tried to decide if we could just *walk* to dinner (a McDonald's was close-by - and a "Waffle House" (ain't they just *wonderful*???) was a mile away - and we ultimately decided that walking was just not reasonable, so we asked the front desk where we could get a good Mexican dinner. She recommended Garibaldi's - and called us a cab. Cab driver was from New York. Been driving a cab for 30 years. Interesting guy - struggling like everybody else these days - working 20-hour days to keep his head above water.

Then we had a wonderful Mexican dinner (... uhhh... is it OK to eat Mexican while on your way to *China*???) including fried ice cream and sopapilla's for dessert.

Then we ambled out into the huge parking lot - and wandered into a store called "World Market". Wow. Never heard of it before, but it seemed like the place that the Vanderbilt's would come to buy their decorations for Biltmore. Huge solid-marble fireplaces and Roman columns and statues. A life-size Komodo Dragon - probably 15 feet long - standing on top of a vintage pool table. Beautiful carved entertainment centers - as big as a whole wall. A bar stool which consisted of a pair of women's legs with a seat on top. We started off making fun of the stuff - and wound up really being impressed. The place was HUGE. Stuff after stuff after stuff. A life-sized statue of a tiger. Huge painting with antique frames. Anyway. Really cool and totally unexpected. Right next to the big "Florida's Mall" that we've been to many many times.

Cab back to the hotel. Overall, the cab rides cost more than the dinner, but I'm really glad we didn't try to walk it: we'll be doing plenty of walking once we get to China.

Anyway. Early morning expected. Looong flite expected. But. Beijing, here we come!

Stay tuned.

Art of Sand Festival, Cocoa Beach, FL

Well. We're spinning up for another BIG trip - to China. I intend to report our progress right here - starting this week.

But in the meantime, we went to the Sand Sculpture Festival here in Cocoa Beach, Florida - last week, and tried out our brand-new Canon Rebel XSi camera - and thot you might be interested in the photos from that. Take a look at the set on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63304483@N00/sets/72157623893610710/

Amazing stuff!

And come back to watch us go to CHINA!!!

Pete